Inside Health

IN BRIEF; Waterbury Hospital Facing Bias Complaint

By JANE GORDON

Published: February 26, 2006

An emergency room doctor filed a bias complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities earlier this month against St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury after the hospital denied his request for health coverage for his civil-union partner.

Alan J. Couture had requested coverage in October for his partner Robert McDonald, the same month Connecticut put its civil union law into effect, said Dawne Westbrook, Dr. Couture's lawyer.

The state's civil union law stipulates that state-regulated health insurance plans provide the same benefits to gay couples as they do to spouses.

But St. Mary's has a self-funded health insurance plan, which operates under federal guidelines and is not required to adhere to state mandates, according to information provided by the State Office of the Healthcare Advocate.

Dr. Couture filed the complaint Feb. 2, and the commission is expected to decide within 65 days whether it will consider the complaint.

''I think the chances are pretty good that they will retain the case and do a full investigation,'' Ms. Westbrook said. ''The unique thing about this case is that this is not a factual dispute. This is really a legal dispute. Is a Catholic entity allowed to avoid the sexual-orientation statute?''

Robert P. Ritz, the chief executive of St. Mary's, wrote in an e-mail message that officials had not received any paperwork on the lawsuit.

''Our initial decision regarding Dr. Couture's request for health insurance was based upon Saint Mary's commitment to following the Ethical and Religious Directives established by the Catholic Church,'' he wrote. ''These are an integral part of our mission and values, and to contradict these guidelines would be inappropriate.'' JANE GORDON